"Metropolitan Opera, After Shutting Its Doors, Will Offer Free Streams From Live in HD Catalog."

Playbill reports.

The performances, originally captured as live broadcasts in movie theatres worldwide, will begin at 7:30 PM [March 16th] on the company's website.... [T]he videos in the nightly series will be made available for free for 20 hours following the initial stream.

The lineup seems designed to welcome opera beginners. It begins with "Carmen," and the next night is "La Bohème."

This is great. I love seeing the silver lining. People are stuck without things to go out and do, but they can watch streamed video, and the public's need for entertainment can be met, and the forced seclusion can be used to build new interest in the best of performance arts.

I remember taking my sons to see "Carmen" when they were very young — the story and the music are so accessible and enjoyable to almost anyone.

(I'm not seeing where you need to click to get to the live stream, but we should be able to find that out by March 16th.)

"Major League Baseball will suspend all operations and likely delay the start of the 2020 season due to the coronavirus outbreak..."

Sports Illustrated reports.

I have tickets to the Ring cycle at the Chicago Lyric Opera next month:

Wagner’s Ring cycle is one of the greatest achievements in Western culture and an immersive adventure that every opera lover should experience. Lyric is proud to present a brand-new Ring in April 2020 — a rare and monumental undertaking that will attract audiences from all over the world to the city of Chicago.

I've already accepted that I can't go, but I wonder when (if?) it will be canceled (postponed?). I don't think the audiences "from all over the world" can make it.